


Thicker than Blood

by LeChatNoir1918



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, I tried very hard to stay within the rating, and a tiny bit of angst, and put the focus on family, as proof that I DO write things besides smut, fanart is also in here somewhere, though not in detail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21629266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatNoir1918/pseuds/LeChatNoir1918
Summary: Phryne and Jack are approaching a new stage in their relationship when a handsome American visitor stirs things up a bit and introduces a new family tradition to Wardlow. Set after "Death on the Vine".
Relationships: Phryne Fisher & Jack Robinson, Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 31
Kudos: 118





	Thicker than Blood

**Author's Note:**

> So. This was supposed to go up on Thursday as a Thanksgiving fic.  
> During Inktober the idea of a Thanksgiving fic came up and then Bijoux53 provided me the fantastic idea of having an American visitor to introduce the holiday to Phrack. So that’s what I did.
> 
> However I struggled an unholy amount with this fic, with real life throwing in a healthy amount of obstacles on the way to me getting this posted. Hence it is a few days late but as I have been assured by several people, Thankgiving lasts the whole weekend so I hope you won't hold it against me!
> 
> Also this was supposed to be short because I haven't really written anything beyond drabble length that wasn't smut. Now, looking at the word count it obviously isn't short. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this break from my usual stuff and happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrated it!!

They were sitting on the chaise in Phryne’s parlor in companionable silence, half-empty wine glasses on a little side table after Phryne’s self-made “wine” had turned out to be rather difficult to consume. Jack’s newly acquired fedora was sitting on one of the chairs and glanced over from time to time before returning his attentions to the woman who had gifted it to him. While they usually talked about anything and everything during their nightcaps, tonight Phryne’s thoughts lingered on the case they had just closed, particularly on Valma Brightwell. The poor woman’s pain had etched itself onto her features so that even now, 10 years after the war, the wounds were still visible and may never disappear. Phryne had felt sorry for Valma even as the woman had pointed a gun at her head. She herself had lost friends in the war, had cried for their loss and for the unfairness of it all. However, the thought of losing the people she cared most about, experiencing what Valma Brightwell had gone through, left Phryne with an incurable ache behind her breastbone.

Her definition of family had changed over the years. She had once considered her blood relatives to be family, which they were, by definition, however not by action. When she had moved to Melbourne she had decided to make her own family, had willingly taken in Dot and Jane, the cabbies, Mr. Butler. Mac had been there from the start, as had Aunt Prudence and her cousin Arthur. Aunt Prudence maybe through proximity more than anything, though Phryne found that she was, sometimes, fond of the old bat. Eventually Hugh had joined their little circle and of course, Jack. Jack, the man who had found his way into her heart without her consciously opening the door for him. He was part of her little family, maybe not in the way she would like him to be, which would be in her bed, but Jack had become one of her closest friends, someone she could rely on and trust and share everything.... alright, _almost_ everything, with. And wasn’t that what family was supposed to be?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Jack asked from beside her, tearing her from her musings.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Phryne waved her hand dismissively and ran a hand down her leg, smoothing out imaginary creases in her trousers. She had found herself letting her guard down around Jack more often and with a surprising ease lately. He felt safe, _almost like home,_ her brain interrupted her. Phryne liked being able to feel that way around him, safe and protected, hadn’t felt that way around a man in a long time, nor had she wanted to. The realization that she was feeling it with Jack surprised her, considering that their relationship was not romantic in nature. Though was romance only limited to physical contact? Somehow she doubted it, considering her feelings for him. She very much wanted him to hold her, to kiss her, to be with her in every sense of the word. And yet, while she could have had him from the start if she had been aggressive enough, she had found that she didn’t want to compromise their friendship. A friendship she had come to rely on and that meant the world to her. Jack was always there when she needed him and while she didn’t liked to think that she needed any man, she couldn’t deny the appeal of just having someone _there_ to talk to. Someone who knew her, appreciated her. _Family_ , crossed her mind again.

“How would you describe family, Jack?” she finally asked, somewhat nervous to ask the question. _What if his definition of family was different? What if he didn’t think of her as family?_ Somehow Phryne couldn’t believe that to be true. Jack thought for a long moment, his head tilted just so while Phryne watched him trying to put his thoughts into words.

“I think family is more of a feeling than something physical,” he began and Phryne found herself unconsciously leaning towards him, listening with rapt attention. “While one can get lucky with their relatives, just because they are connected to us by blood does not mean that they are family, in the sense that I see it.” He turned his torso towards her and held her eyes for a moment, seemingly unsure whether or not he should continue. “I don’t know if I ever thought of it that way until I met you, Phryne.”

She stared at him, caught off guard by the raw honesty in his words and the use of her first name. “The way you’ve taken all of these people into your home, so many different characters, so many different stories, and yet they all fit together, here. I’d reckon that your assembled family has a deeper connection than many blood-related ones,” he finished, his voice soft and his eyes searching hers, though he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. What he had said was true. Jack continued to be amazed by the amount of love Phryne Fisher had to give to her little family. And while he himself had gotten lucky with his blood-relatives, sometimes he liked to imagine that he was part of Phryne’s family as well. As a friend, maybe more. Oh, how he wished for more. But he wanted... no, needed more than platonic love if they were going to take the next step. He met her eyes again and momentarily forgot how to breathe as he, all of a sudden, _saw_ what he was looking for in the open affection in her gaze and he stared at her, mesmerized. The discovery must have been evident on his face as he watched Phryne’s eyes widen minutely at the realization that he had seen right through her. She cleared her throat and broke eye contact, unable to withstand the intense scrutiny of his gaze any longer.

“Good answer,” she stated and Jack noticed that she had started smoothing her hands over her trousers again.

“Phryne...” he started, but didn’t get any further, as Mr. Butler knocked on the parlor door before poking his head into the room.

“I’m sorry to disturb you Miss, Inspector. Constable Hart just called, you’re needed at the station, Inspector,” the old man stated, looking at Jack, who nodded. He swallowed thickly at the realization of what might have occurred if Mr. Butler hadn’t interrupted - _you would have poured your heart out, for one thing_ \- and Jack took a deep breath. He looked around as if he was looking for something, y _our sanity_ , came to his mind, and Jack shook off the fog that had started to cloud his mind. If the station was calling him this late at night, there was something important going on and he needed to be alert. He chanced a look back at Phryne who looked utterly composed again.

“I should...” he said, gesturing towards the door.

“Oh, yes! Go, go. Let me know if something exciting has happened,” she smiled warmly and Jack hesitated again, before coming to the decision that what he really wanted to tell her, if he ever followed through on telling her, better wasn’t said in a rush.

“I’m assuming I can expect you at the station tomorrow?” He asked as he stood up. A new case, which this late night call was likely to be, drew her in like a moth to a flame, he knew.

“You can count on it, Inspector” she grinned, before springing up and placing his new fedora back on his head. “Though not as early as I’d like, I have a brunch at Aunt Prudence’s in the morning, apparently she has some American visitors that I just _have_ to meet.”

“On the topic of family and all...” Jack smirked and Phryne rolled her eyes. “Yes, Aunt Prudence is an expert pain in the...” she broke off when Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Well, anyway, I can’t stay clear of my entire bloodline apparently,” she complained and Jack resisted the urge to smooth out the wrinkle that had formed between her brows.

“In that case I wish you good luck,” he smiled. “Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“Have you _met_ Aunt Prudence?” Phryne chuckled as they made their way to the front door. “I can only imagine what her Americans friends are like.”

Jack reached for his coat as they got to the foyer and Phryne stepped up closer again.

“Be careful,” she said softly and he nodded, restraining himself from leaning forward to kiss her, her eyes soft and tender as she tugged on his lapels.

On the way to the station Jack, as usual, regretted his restraint.

***

Phryne somewhat reluctantly raised her hand to ring the doorbell at her aunt’s house. She would really rather be at the station working Jack’s new case with him - _surely it had to be something grand if he got a late-night call from the station?-_ instead of meeting her Aunt’s American visitors. From what she had gathered, her Aunt had two guests, one an old acquaintance of hers, Ida Harris, and a male companion, whom Phryne assumed to be the older woman’s husband. She sighed at the thought of the brunch ahead, before finally ringing the bell.

What Phryne had not expected, was the tall, dark and handsome young gentleman, who opened the door with a flourish. He was dressed too well to be a new member of Aunt P’s staff and while Phryne was confused about why this man had opened the door instead of a maid, she found that this was by far the more enticing option.

“Ah, you must be Phryne Fisher, your aunt has told us so much about you. Andrew Harris, pleased to meet you.” The man said brightly and stretched out his hand for her to shake.

Phryne stared at the extended hand in front of her and back up at this Andrew fellow, before raising one delicately gloved hand to shake his. “Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr. Harris” she started, the corner of her mouth tilting up at this pleasant surprise in front of her. “My aunt had neglected to mention that her guests were so.... young...” She trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the gaps.

“Please, call me Andrew. Only me who’s young, I’m afraid. My aunt wanted to come down to Australia for a visit to Mrs. Stanley and I thought to myself, why not come along. I’ve heard it’s beautiful down here.” He paused, taking Phryne’s hand in his and raising it to his face. “From where I’m standing, the accounts were correct.”Andrew added in a low voice intended to seduce before pressing a kiss against her knuckles.

Phryne considered the new opportunity that had just presented itself. The man really did look fantastically handsome and it had been quite a while since she had had a warm body to share her bed with. Her mind drifted to the man she had, consciously or subconsciously, been reserving that spot for but one could wait all day, or in her case months, for Jack Robinson to make a move. Besides, she’d always enjoyed a good flirt and saw no reason why she couldn’t flirt with this American. It’s not like she had let anything stop her before. And yet there was a little voice inside her head telling her that Jack wouldn’t like it. Phryne pushed the voice aside, annoyed that it had popped into her head. Jack had yet to make a significant move towards her, of any kind; he didn’t have the right to dislike her flirting with other men. Besides, she didn’t do guilty consciences. Phryne pulled herself together and put the smile back on her face as she took Andrew’s extended arm to let him lead her inside the house.

***

Jack looked up from his desk when Phryne entered his office later that afternoon. He rubbed his hands over his face, tired from having been at the station since early that morning. The call last night had turned out to be about a dead body found at the docks, the head cut off and nowhere to be found. After interviewing some dock workers and looking around the crime scene, he had gone back to his bungalow to sleep for about an hour before returning to work. They didn’t have any leads; one worker had stated to have seen a black car driving away, another said that he’d seen a red one with some sort of white on the side. With the body missing its head, they hadn’t even been able to identify the body. Jack hoped the coroner’s report would shed some light on the situation but it was not due until later that day. He turned his head when he felt Phryne’s presence near him and looked up at where she had perched herself on the corner of his desk. She looked unexpectedly happy, considering she was coming from the brunch she had complained about last night.

“You seem to be in a good mood today, Miss Fisher,” Jack stated, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in front of his stomach as he watched her scan the files on his desk. She hummed to herself and shrugged innocently. “I guess I am.”

“So I’m assuming the Americans weren’t as bad as you had expected?” he gently teased and watched her face as she suppressed a grin.

“Oh, they were actually surprisingly charming,” she continued as she reached out to grab one of the folders, noticing how tired he looked as she leaned over.

“A body found at the docks with a missing head, no leads yet” Jack commented on the case file in her hand, watching her eyes flit across the page. He was glad she was here, if he was honest. A fresh pair of eyes on the matter, especially one that he knew he could rely on, was always helpful and just her mere presence made him feel more alert again. Phryne turned a few more pages and then dropped the folder back onto the desk before turning her focus back on him.

“Have you eaten today?” she inquired, crossing her arms in front of her chest and Jack avoided her gaze when his stomach growled on reflex.

“You’re coming over for supper tonight, Jack Robinson. No if’s or but’s,” she commanded sternly. Jack sighed and thought about declining for a second, before deciding that resistance was futile. Besides, the promise of one of Mr. Butler’s dinners might just get him through the rest of this day.

“The American’s will also be there,” Phryne continued and Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise. He wasn’t exactly keen on meeting them either. What he _was_ keen on, was an evening alone with Phryne, no matter how tired he felt. “My my, you really did get along well with them, didn’t you? So who exactly are these mysterious Americans?” Jack asked and she half-smiled, half-frowned in an expression Jack couldn’t quite interpret.

“Oh, just an old friend of Aunt Prudence’s and her nephew.” She replied, her voice rising a bit in pitch as she snatched another file from his desk, ignoring his curious look. “Now, onto this case, Jack...”

***

Jack arrived at Wardlow just in time for dinner and approached the familiar house with some sense of trepidation. He almost hadn’t wanted to come after realizing that the “surprisingly charming” American seemed to be a young man, one that Phryne seemed excited about having met. Jack hadn’t said anything about it at the station but underneath his calm exterior he had felt as if she had punched him in the chest. He really had no reason to feel that way, since he could only speculate if she intended to pursue this American, not to mention the fact that he really had no excuse for feeling jealous if he was dragging his heels on telling her he wanted her. Still, the thought that the universe had managed to drop yet another prospect in front of Phryne’s nose, just when their relationship finally seemed to be heading in the right direction, made him feel desperate and a little more depressed than he’d like to admit.

Jack greeted Mr. Butler at the door and then his worst fears came true when he entered the parlor where everyone had gathered for pre-dinner drinks and he saw said American. He was tall and handsome, in any case definitely Phryne’s type, if she had one, and he was standing close, _too close_ to Phryne. She wore an elegant green dress adorned with rhinestones, similar to the one she had worn at salon Fleuri when she had offered for him to search her, in no uncertain terms. Jack was torn from his reminiscence by Andrew whispering something in her ear. Phryne giggled, _giggled_ , in response and Jack felt his fists clenching at his sides.

“Oh, good evening Inspector!” Jane shouted and Jack tore his gaze away from Phryne and the unknown man to take in the rest of the room. Jane was sitting in the corner with a book, beaming up at him as she had spotted him, and on the other side of the room, by the piano, Prudence Stanley and another woman her age were sipping on their cocktails. The old friend, Jack presumed.

“Drink, Inspector?” Jack heard Mr. Butler ask from beside him and gratefully took a glass fromthe tray. “Thank you, Mr. Butler,” he nodded and when he faced forward again, Phryne was standing in front of him.

“Jack! Glad you could make it.” She greeted him with a genuine smile and Jack threw a look over her shoulder to see the American watching them with narrowed eyes. Jack felt his disdain for the man grow and in a gesture entirely uncharacteristic and unexpected, he bent forward to press a kiss to Phryne’s cheek, delighting in the way the other man’s eyes narrowed even further.

When he drew back it was to Phryne’s stunned expression, her eyes wide with surprise and no small amount of amusement in her gaze, bringing a blush to Jack’s cheeks.

“Um... good evening, Miss Fisher.” He brought out and she smirked and raised an eyebrow before twirling around to introduce him to the American guests.

“Mrs. Harris, Andrew, this is Detective Inspector Robinson. Jack, Ida and Andrew Harris from the States.”

Jack greeted Ida Harris as well as Aunt Prudence who threw him a slightly disapproving look, which Jack took to mean “how dare you interrupt this chaperoned date between my niece and this rich American”, before shaking hands with Andrew, squeezing his hand a little more tightly than was strictly necessary as the two men sized each other up.

“You seem to know Phryne quite well,” Andrew remarked and Jack tried to ignore the fact that he had called her by her first name.

“Oh yes, we’re quite close,” he returned and smiled a fake smile at the other man, whose eyes had narrowed again, clearly trying to work out just _how well_ they knew each other. Jack glanced at Phryne who was talking to Jane in the corner and mulled over his statement. It wasn’t a lie, was it? They were close. Not in the way he wanted Andrew to believe, or the way he wanted them to be, but they _were_ close, knew each other well. _Family_ , shot through Jack’s mind again and he smiled, only to be reminded of the man standing next to him, the man that was definitely trying to get as close to Phryne as possible if the looks he was sending her way were anything to go by. Jack took another sip of his drink.

***

Dinner was delicious, almost delicious enough to distract Jack from the fact that Andrew leaned in close to Phryne and complimented her wherever he could. However, Jack couldn’t ignore it completely, nor could he ignore the approving glances Prudence Stanley sent towards her niece and her American suitor.

He returned his attention to the table where Andrew had just complimented Phryne’s earrings by saying they looked “like sparkling treasures lifted from the depths of the ocean and sent to land to transform wandering souls into flames of longing”. Jack rolled his eyes so far back into his head that he thought they might get stuck there as he tried to suppress a groan. When he was looking straight ahead again, he noticed, to his pleasure, that Phryne’s brow had retreated into her hairline at the nauseatingly soppy line. Even Aunt Prudence seemed a bit put off and she hastily interrupted before Andrew could continue, to address Mr. Butler who was making his rounds with the wine.

“I must compliment you, Mr. Butler, this is the perfect meal for such a nice autumn day.” She stated and the man in question bowed slightly, a pleased smile on his lips. Then the table fell silent again, though only for a moment. “You know,” Andrew started up again and Jack took a deep breath to calm himself. “In America we celebrate what we call Thanksgiving in the fall.”

“What’s Thanksgiving?” Jane piped up from her chair, ever-curious to learn more about the world, and she listened intently as Andrew explained about the pilgrims and the indigenous tribes and how the pilgrims would have perished without the food the natives gave to them. “Nowadays it’s more about coming together with family and eating ridiculous amounts of food and being thankful for both,” Andrew went on and as much as Jack disliked the man, the tradition didn’t sound half-bad. Jane, of course, seemed utterly taken with the idea.

“Oh please, Miss, can we celebrate a Thanksgiving?” she almost begged Phryne, who seemed to be on the fence about the whole idea after glancing at Aunt Prudence, who, for better or for worse, would also have to be invited if they were to celebrate such a family holiday.

“And we could invite everyone!,” Jane continued and Jack watched Phryne’s expression soften at her ward’s enthusiasm for the idea. “Mac, and Hugh, and the Inspector... and Cec and Bert of course!” Jane beamed and Jack sighed, knowing that they would soon be celebrating Thanksgiving, even before Phryne nodded.

“If Mr. Butler is fine with preparing such a grand supper, I suppose there’s no reason why we shouldn’t,” she smiled and Jane turned her attention to the older man who regarded her fondly.

“I am certain I can come up with something fitting for the occasion,” he smiled and that was that.

***

The next morning Jack was back at the station, feeling better after having slept significantly longer than he had the night before. After dinner at Wardlow, he had made a relatively quick escape, though he had managed to stay longer than Andrew, something Jack noted with great pride, before falling into bed at his bungalow and immediately falling asleep. While Andrew had kept up his flirtatious sweet-talking, it hadn’t seemed like Phryne had been particularly susceptive to it, though maybe that was just Jack’s hopes playing tricks on him.

Hugh entered the room after a few hours, the coroner’s report in hand and Jack read through it. He now knew the kind of instrument used to sever the head, as well as what the victim had eaten before he had been killed. Jack sighed. Even with the report he didn’t have much to go on. After a while he glanced up at the clock to see that it was almost noon and he wrinkled his nose in confusion. He had figured Phryne would show up by now to poke her nose into the case. Not that he wanted her to. Of course. But it _was_ highly unusual for her to stay away from an unsolved murder. Jack got up and poked his head out of his office to spot Hugh standing at the front desk and working on some paperwork.

“Has Miss Fisher called, by any chance?” he asked, feeling slightly ridiculous by doing so.

“No sir. I believe they’re all going out for a day at the beach with the Americans today. At least that’s what Dottie told me this morning.” Came his constable’s reply and Jack felt the blood drain from his face.

“Right. Thank you, Collins.” Jack brought out through clenched teeth before disappearing into his office, closing the door a bit louder than he strictly had to. He spent the next half hour sitting at his desk, unable to concentrate. The beach. THE BEACH. He could just see Phryne and Andrew lounging in their bathing costumes, Andrew whispering something in her ear about how her eyes sparkled like the reflection of the sun on the water, them going swimming together, Andrew sweeping Phryne into his arms if a wave threatened to topple her over...

Jack slammed his fist on the desk. This overthinking was of no use.

“Collins?” he barked, feeling bad for his harsh tone when the young constable’s frightened face immediately appeared at the door. “Did Miss Williams happen to mention which beach they were going to?”

***

Jack reminded himself that he was doing this for love, requited love he hoped, as he walked towards the St. Kilda foreshore. “You are not crashing a date,” he mumbled to himself while he approached the line of bathing sheds along the border of the sand. He was feeling rather embarrassed about his plan now. Though, to be fair, he didn’t really have a plan, had, for once in his life decided to act without thinking about it first.

He saw the group in the distance, Prudence Stanley and Ida Harris reclined in beach chairs in the shade while Dot and Jane were building sandcastles. He looked around for Phryne and spotted her familiar shape in the distance, walking down the beach underneath a parasol. Andrew was beside her and they seemed to be chatting animatedly as they slowly came closer to were Jack was standing. He felt quite ridiculous about the sheer amount of disdain he felt for this American. While Jack was contemplating what to do, now that he was here, the couple came closer and he was clearly able to make out their features. And what they were wearing. Not that the was looking. Phryne was wearing the same bathing suit she had worn in Queenscliff, although without the cape. It seemed.... even shorter now and Jack found it hard to tear his eyes away from her exposed legs. She was barefoot, as was Andrew, who was walking about as close to her as was decent and Jack gritted his teeth together. Phryne was laughing at something Andrew had said, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear as her laughter rang out to him. All of a sudden Jack felt even more out of place. This had been an exceptionally bad idea. He not only felt like he was stalking her, he probably looked like it as well and all he had accomplished was seeing how nice Phryne and this irritatingly handsome, and flirtatious American looked next to each other. Not that he hadn’t already noticed that the night before. He was just about to turn around when he was stopped dead in his tracks by his name being shouted across the beach.

Moments later, Phryne was standing in front of him, curiously eyeing him up and down in his 3 piece suit. “What are _you_ doing here?” she asked, genuine confusion written across her face. He couldn’t blame her for being confused. Jack was just about to make up an excuse when Andrew appeared behind her with an entirely smug expression on his face and Jack decided to keep his mouth shut for the moment.

“You’re quite overdressed for a day at the beach, Inspector, are you not?” Andrew asked and placed a slightly possessive hand on Phryne’s shoulder. Jack’s gaze jerked to the offending hand as if he could make it disappear from her person by sheer willpower and Phryne noted Jack’s reaction with a pleased smile before placing her own hand over Andrew’s and gently but firmly removing it from her shoulder. Now it was Jack’s turn to look smug as he stared down the other man.

“I am. I am here on official business.” He replied, having gained some of his confidence back. “Miss Fisher, I was wondering if I could acquire your assistance for my current case.” It was a bad excuse. While it wasn’t entirely a lie, the fact that he would show up at a beach outing to interrupt her was beyond rude and everyone in attendance knew it.

Andrew snorted. “Can’t solve the case on your own, Inspector? You need a woman to help you?”

Jack inwardly pumped his fist into the air as he saw Phryne’s expression change in an instant. She took a deep breath and turned to face Andrew, whose smirk faltered.

“Andrew, would you be a dear and fetch my things? I will be accompanying Inspector Robinson to the station,” she requested and Jack watched as the other man swallowed, his gaze darting between the two of them. “Of course,” he choked out, trying to handle the rejection as elegantly as possible. As soon as Andrew was on his way, Phryne turned back to Jack and raised an eyebrow.

“Smooth.” Was all she said and Jack felt himself blush. “I... ah. I really could use some help with the case.” He replied and watched a pleased grin spread across her face.

“In that case, what are we waiting for?” She asked brightly and Jack nodded over her shoulder towards Andrew who was grumpily coming back towards them, stomping through the sand with Phryne’s large beach bag in hand.

“Him, I should think,” Jack replied with a smirk.

***

“Any news on the case?” Phryne inquired on the drive to the station and Jack glanced at the woman beside him, who, thank the lord, had put on a skirt and blouse over the skimpy bathing suit. It would be embarrassing for him to crash the car just because he had an overly enticing pair of legs on display next to him.

“I received the coroner’s report this morning,” Jack informed her and filled her in on everything he knew so far, sitting quietly beside her as she mulled over the information until they pulled up to the station.

“I need to read that one witness report again, the one who saw the red car,” she exclaimed all of a sudden, bolting upright in her seat and Jack quickly followed as she jumped out of the car and raced into the station.

***

Later that night Jack found himself back at Wardlow, a signed confession by the murderer in hand. Phryne beamed up at him from her chair when he entered the parlor and stood up to hand him a drink she had already prepared.

“Was I right?” she asked excitedly and Jack used the brief time it took her to read the confession to take in her appearance. She had changed again for their nightcap, as was her wont, now clad in a pretty red velvet gown, the fabric soft and inviting. Jack shook his head at his train of thought.

“You were,” he smiled and took a sip of his drink. “As it turns out I really do need a woman’s help,” he then teased and watched her as she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t remind me. He really was perfectly charming up until that point.”

“Like sparkling treasures lifted from the depths of the ocean and sent to land to transform souls into flames of longing” Jack quoted the man from memory and had to resist the urge to roll his eyes again, even though he was the one saying the words this time. He was glad he didn’t, for if he had he might have missed the way Phryne’s gaze dropped to his lips while he spoke.

“It does sound _much_ more appealing when you say it,” she replied and Jack’s collar felt a little too tight all of a sudden.

“So, uh... how are the Thanksgiving plans coming along?” he inquired, mentally slapping himself for changing the topic.

“Oh, alright I suppose,” she sighed, and stepped back a bit, much to Jack’s dismay. “I’m not a huge fan of inviting Aunt Prudence over for yet another dinner. But it will be nice to have the entirety of my Melbourne family here. You’ll come, won’t you?” she asked hopefully and Jack felt a tingling sensation spread through his body.

“If you’re sure I’m welcome,” he answered softly, wanting to be absolutely sure that she meant her offer. He distantly heard the telephone ring, his entire focus on the woman in front of him.

“Oh, don’t be silly,” she chided. “You are part of this family, too, Jack.” She hesitated, before letting the open affection show on her face again and stepping closer until they were almost touching.“In fact, I couldn’t...” She continued but broke off when there was a knock on the parlor door. Phryne huffed in frustration and Jack briefly closed his eyes in annoyance at the renewed disturbance.

“Yes?” she called out, stepping back again, and Mr. Butler poked his head into the parlor, seemingly as unhappy with the interruption as they were. “Mr. Harris on the phone for you, Miss. He was wondering if you would like to have drinks with him tonight.”

Jack swallowed, looking back over at Phryne who knitted her brow for a second before making up her mind. “Please let Mr. Harris know that I am otherwise occupied,” she instructed her butler and he nodded. “Very well, Miss. Carry on.” With that he closed the parlor doors again and Phryne turned to Jack with a smirk.

“Yes, an excellent idea. Where were we?” She had moved in closer again, closer than before and close enough for her to reach up and tug on his lapels.

“I believe you were saying something about family, Miss Fisher,” he rumbled and watched her eyes light up as she remembered what she had been saying.

“Yes! Well...” she trailed off and kept fidgeting with his lapels. Then she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before meeting his gaze and soldiering on with a shaky voice. “What I had wanted to say was that you, Jack Robinson, are an essential part of this family. Especially to me and I... to be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She stopped talking and judged his reaction cautiously as she waited for a reply. Jack didn’t reply, couldn’t, for it felt like her words had robbed him of the ability to speak. He realized his mouth was gaping open and snapped it shut as he stood frozen in place.

“Jack?” she whispered after a few more moments of silence, uncertainty coloring her voice. “Aren’t you going to say something?” She asked, shifting from one foot to the other, her grasp on his lapels holding him in place, something he was certain she wasn’t aware she was doing.

“No,” he replied hoarsely when he had finally found his voice again and reached up to cup her face in his large hands, softly stroking his thumb over her cheek. Phryne’s eyes widened in surprise but she leaned into his touch, their eyes staying locked as Jack tried to gather up courage to do what he had wanted to do for a long time. He tilted her head back slightly and her eyes fell closed in a silent invitation, one he was not going to deny. The first touch of their lips was light, a soft exploration of each other, getting to know the other’s features by touch. Jack was suddenly overcome by the desire to know her inside and out and started deepening the kiss with an enthusiasm that was immediately matched by her. Their lips met more insistently, conveying all of the feelings they had suppressed over the past weeks especially, all the things Jack had wanted to say since the Gertie Haynes case and he burrowed his fingers in her hair and opened his mouth when he felt her do the same. She sighed and softened against him at the first sweep of his tongue through her mouth, letting him explore her taste and texture until she became impatient and she pushed back against him, backing him up until he hit one of the chairs with the backs of his knees and she nudged him down before smoothly sliding into his lap to keep kissing him. Now she had the upper hand and she didn’t let the advantage go to waste, plundering his mouth with hers in a way that left Jack grasping at her waist to keep her close and pull her down onto him, tearing a moan from both of their throats. Phryne pulled back from the kiss, and stared down at the man beneath her, the man that had become everything to her without trying. His fingers were flexing on her hips, betraying his desire to keep kissing her, to go further. Not that Phryne had any objections to that plan. She wrapped one arm around his nape, softly stroking his neck and felt his breath hitch where his chest pressed against her stomach.

“Jack...” she breathed and leaned down to kiss him again, only to feel him hold her back by pushing against her waist. She eyed him, confused.

“I... I just..” he started, his voice darker than Phryne had ever heard it and she felt her body respond accordingly as she melted even further into him. “You mean everything to me, Phryne.” It was a simple sentence, 6 words. 6 words that should have scared her but didn’t, instead made her feel safe. At home. _Family_.

“Come upstairs,” Phryne whispered and took his hands in hers.

***

When Jack awoke the next morning it was to Phryne wrapped around him, her arm and leg thrown over his body to keep him in place, her breath warm and even against his neck. He allowed himself to stroke a hand lightly over her exposed back, savoring the sensation of her smooth skin underneath his fingertips. He had tried to memorize her entire body the night before, had spent hours learning her inside and out until they were both spent, but this quiet morning exploration had something to be said for it as well. He turned his head to breathe her in, smelling her scent combined with the lingering aroma of last night’s activities and felt... giddy, almost. Jack felt himself become restless lying there, wanted to shout from the rooftops that they had finally, finally, taken the next step. Instead, he stroked her skin a bit more firmly until she started stirring, slowly coming out of her dream land. She made a disgruntled noise at being woken but a smile quickly spread across her face when she realized who was sharing her bed.

“Good morning,” she whispered and stretched her neck to press a soft kiss to his mouth before snuggling back into the crook of his neck. “You smell good.” She mumbled, breathing him in deeply.

“You smell like sex.” He returned and felt her chuckle against his side.

“That was the point,” she grinned and began peppering his neck and collarbone with light kisses, trailing a line to the center of his chest. Jack hummed at the pleasant sensation and relaxed back into the pillows.

“I wish we could stay here all day,” he said softly and furrowed his brow when Phryne stopped the kisses and dropped her head to rest her forehead against his chest.

“Me too,” she groaned. “Can I just call everyone and cancel this Thanksgiving idea?”

“Jane would be heartbroken,” Jack reminded her gently, stroking his fingers through Phryne’s hair and down her shoulders. She grunted unintelligibly before raising her head back up.

“You’re right,” she begrudgingly conceded. “But, you have to promise to remember every sappy flirtatious comment Andrew makes. I want to hear them in your voice, later” she smirked and Jack couldn’t suppress a grin.

“I can come up with some myself, you know,” he claimed and Phryne moved to lie completely on top of him, ignoring his rising interest against her stomach for the time being.

“I’m listening,” Phryne grinned up at him.

“Your eyes are like the ocean, wild and full of life, hiding unforeseen depths and treasures no man could ever dream of discovering unless the waves decide to reveal them.” Phryne’s grin had transformed into a content smile and she regarded him fondly when he had finished speaking.

“First of all, that was infinitely better than what Andrew came up with. Or maybe it is just that voice of yours,” she remarked, her voice dropping to a lower register. “And I believe that you may just discover those treasures, Inspector.” She added and pressed another kiss to his lips.

“By plunging your depths?” Jack returned cheekily and Phryne gasped at his forwardness before aligning herself and moving backwards, allowing him to do just that.

“I believe we have some time before supper for you to continue your deep sea adventures,” she moaned and it was all Jack could do to nod before his mind went entirely blank.

***

Dinner was a pleasant affair and Phryne looked gorgeous in a shimmering gold dress with matching gold heels. Jack watched Andrew fawning over her and the accompanying flirtatious comments with amusement, knowing that he had nothing to fear. Mr. Butler really had outdone himself with the food, the sheer amount of it enough to feed at least 20 people instead of just the 11 that were gathered around the table. Jack took his seat next to Phryne, her presence at his side a constant reassurance, one he needed when they went around the table, taking turns stating something they were thankful for, as was apparently part of the Thanksgiving tradition. It was a process enjoyed by most of them, only Bert could be heard mumbling something about how this “silly tradition” really was” a bunch of nonsense wrapped in a pretty package”.

When Dot and Jane stated how thankful they were for Phryne taking them in in their time of need and giving them this wonderful life, Jack saw her tear up a bit from the corner of his eye. He grasped her hand underneath the table and squeezed it tightly, feeling her return the gesture. When Phryne’s turn came she had mostly recovered and Jack’s heart warmed as he heard her talk about how thankful she was for everyone at the table, that they were all in her life, and that she was proud to call them friends. And then came Jack’s turn. He had been thinking about what he would say the entire time and yet found himself flustered by being the focus of everyone’s attention. He cleared his throat once, the feeling of Phryne’s hand in his encouraging him.

“I am thankful for being allowed to sit at this table with you all. However... weird this constellation may look to outsiders, and whatever quarrels I might have had with some of you in the past,” he paused briefly to look over at the cabbies, “I think we can all agree that this is a safe place for anyone who needs a home and a family in it’s own rights.”

He felt Phryne squeeze his hand again and this time he was the one who squeezed back, unwilling in that moment to ever let her go.

“Alright, shall we eat?” Phryne asked, much to Jack’s relief. The answer was a resounding yes and the rest of the evening was filled with laughter and shared memories. _Family._

***

Later that night, Phryne and Jack fell into her bed next to each other, both still fully clothed.

“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much in my life!” Phryne groaned and Jack agreed with a groan of his own.

“Do we have to move?” He inquired carefully. “Because I don’t think I _can_ move,” he added, fully willing to fall asleep completely dressed.

“Maybe we should at least take our shoes off,” Phryne reasoned but remained unmoving on the bed. “Tomorrow,” she yawned and soon after they had both fallen asleep.

***

**Author's Note:**

> So that's that. I decided to add the drawings at the end because I didn't want them to interrupt the flow of the story, I hope it's recognizable which parts of the fic they go with :)  
> I'll head back to the smut now, I think that’s more my domain than this.


End file.
